Warby Parker is a New York-based online retailer of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, with retail locations located across the country. The company’s founding trio met not far from where I live, at the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania, as students in Wharton’s Venture Initiation Program. Shortly after Warby Parker’s 2010 inception, which was spearheaded by a $2500 seed investment from the program, the company went forth to realize its vision, disrupting a $140 billion dollar industry in the process.
Check out their history, where they lay it all out and talk about their mission. The founders identified a problem and then came up with a carefully-crafted solution that is actually quite simple. But in reading about them, this is what resonated with me most…
We also believe that everyone has the right to see.
Warby Parker’s founders know the importance of storytelling and how vital it is to their work and mission. The story of their history is one that’s easy to repurpose. Notice that there’s one version posted on their site and an ultra short and accessible version shown below, printed on a cleaning cloth.
Yes…they’ve printed their story on a *cleaning cloth*. These ambitious folks are masters of innovation. They execute clever with precision and smarts, not to mention utility. And they bolster all of that by being good-natured guys with a social conscience and genuine drive to make a difference in the world. You’ll notice how passionately the folks behind the business are invested in their company’s culture. Within the traditional, monopolistic capitalism of the eyewear industry as we know it, that’s a refreshing — and welcome — breath of fresh air.
God help me, I’ve lost my glasses twice within the last year. I’m grateful to know Warby Parker.
View Pamela Grow's profile
I can’t wait to meet with you personally.
Comments on this entry are closed.